Confessions
by The Chair Faerie
Summary: The Elf's first (and favorite) HP fic: Ron/Hermione. A year after they graduate, Ron and Hermione haven't seen each other since. Everything's changed since they graduated and it seems like nothing will be the same again, especially for Ron.


Confessions by Lone_Wolf

It was a year after they had graduated. None of them had seen each other since; they had all moved on. 

Hermione worked as the editor (she was the youngest in ever as well) for the Daily Prophet, as she had spent many years correcting her peers assignments it was quite easy for her. Harry had spent the past year as Seeker for the English Quidditch team giving them the best record and the league and winning them their first World Cup in nearly a decade. Ron however live a much more humble (or should I say normal?) life than his two friends taking over his father's positions in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office,

As usual, Ron was the average, invisible member of the trio as he sat on a stool in the Leaky Cauldron watching his friends get congratulated. He stared watching Harry kiss Cho from across the room. He felt a pang in his stomach. It wasn't that he like Cho, she and Harry have had an on/off relationship since his fifth year, it was just something felt missing.

Hermione sat at a table surrounded by those of the male gender. She had really changed in the past few years. Hermione sat there talking, unaware of the gender ratio of her audience. Ron sighed, _You know she ain't free. As far as he knew, Krum was still after her. The thought made his heart sink. __What wrong with me? He thought. He and Hermione had always been close, almost like brother and sister. Their relationship had fallen apart in the last year. Except for a few owls, he and Hermione hadn't communicated much; as far as he was concerned they didn't really know each other anymore. Yet, this feeling… He knew it wasn't friendship that he wanted. He tried to look away, but he couldn't', his eyes were drawn to her face, her body. He couldn't do it. Instead, he walked towards the exit of the restaurant, so his thoughts could torment him no longer. _

                                                                                           * * *

Ron lay in his bed. He only had to take two more days of this, two more days of this constant torture. _This is only the first day, don't screw it up now. You've been thinking so much about her; you haven't talked to Harry yet. Harry, your best friend. And what if that bastard Malfoy finds me acting like this? What's wrong with me? What did she do to make me feel like this?_

* * *

It was the second day. Ron had no idea what the objective of this meeting was. Dumbledore had just sent them owls, telling everyone in his graduating class to meet at the Leaky Cauldron, a class reunion you could say. _Why'd I come? Ron thought. __If I knew I'd be this miserable… Although he said this, within himself he felt that being this close to her was almost as if he were in heaven. _

He climbed the steps into the Leaky Cauldron. The fist thing he noticed was Hermione ordering a cup of tea at the counter. He froze watching her hair bounce up and down as she talked. _Why now? He thought. She might not have been much of a prize when they were in Hogwarts but now, just looking at her body made him dizzy. "Get over it Ron," he mutter to himself, "you're only 19, you'll meet someone else…"_

            "Oy, Ron!"

            "Huh? Oh hey Harry," Ron mumbled. 

            "Not your usual cheery self. Ah well, I never thought you wee a morning person anyways," Harry said. "So what have you been doing this past year?"

            "Took over me dad's job. I have no idea why I took it either. Barley pays me anything. Well, I'm sure I don't need to ask about where you've been. I bought tickets to the World Cup. You were bloody brilliant!" Ron added in a false cheery voice. 

            "Well, if you'd sent me an owl saying you'd be there I'd have gotten you some tickets in top box. I haven't heard from you for so long- I thought you'd moved to Bulgaria or something."

            "Bulgaria-"

            "C'mon let's see Hermione."

            "Hermione?" Ron gulped. "Okay." Harry stared at him oddly. _Was it that obvious? Am I really acting that strange?_

            "Well, well. If it isn't Potty and the Weasel," drawled a familiar voice from behind Ron. Ron let out a sigh of relief. 

            "Aren't we a bit old to be calling each other names, Malfoy?" Harry said coolly. 

            "Excellent Potter. I didn't think you had the brains to figure it out."

            "Shut up, Malfoy," Ron retorted.

            "Weasley, Weasley, Weasley… You truly disappoint me. I heard you took over you fathers job at the Ministry. Still counting ever Knut aren't you?" Ron's ears grew red. "As my father says once riffraff, always riffraff. Potter, I'd have thought better of you…"

            "I'll take that as a compliment," replied Harry.

             Malfoy sneered, "Well at least you've gotten rid of your mud-blood friend." Ron muttered something inaudible and probably unreadable as well. "Let me at him!" Ron said as Harry attempted to hold him back. 

            "C'mon Weasley, I know you can do better than that," Malfoy smiled laughing at Ron's struggle. Once again Ron said something unreadable, although he did say it significantly louder. 'Hermione! Come here!" Harry yelled as Ron pulled out his wand.

            "Oh no, don't pull of that stunt again," Hermione said quickly remembering the fight on the Quidditch field back in the 2nd year. She grabbed hold of an arm and Harry on the other. "Ron, cut it out," she whispered in his ear. Almost immediately Ron stopped, his ears turning a deep shade of magenta. "I don't know how you do it," Harry commented.

            "Neither do I. Usually I have to threaten to place a curse on him…"

            "Hahaha," Ron added sarcastically. "Er, hi Hermione." He stared at her, his heart pumping. _If only you weren't dating Krum… _

            "Er, Ron?" questioned Hermione with an odd look in her eyes.

            "I- I have to got to the restroom," he answered quickly. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Ron sat on a bench. His back was bent, his hands covering his face, eyes closed and deep in thought. It was a burden growing bigger every second. He had no control over his emotions. _Why now? Why her? He heart raced. __She probably doesn't notice me. Even in Hogwarts it was her and Harry. I'm just Ron, Harry's sidekick, the kid who can't control his temper about Malfoy. The youngest brother of seven kids. A nobody. No one knows me- me always living in my stereotype; the tag along, on who thinks that he's more than he really is- egotistic. I'm… He couldn't say it. "Why… how did I fall in love with you?"_

* * *

Another year passed. Ron had quit his job and the Ministry and instead took a teacher job at Hogwarts, teaching Defense Against the dark Arts, specifically. His job kept him occupied for most of the day, but at night his thoughts would wander away. He loved being back at Hogwarts, but still part of him wanted to be somewhere else- with her. There was a picture of him and her on their graduation day. He gently put a finger on her face. It seemed so long ago, so far away. He drifted back into to memory remembering the warmth of her hand on his shoulder, it felt so real. Ron sighed; she'd never be his. He rummaged around his desk for his correcting quill. Once again he felt her hand on his shoulder. No, it couldn't be. Nonetheless he turned around. Behind him stood… Hermione. "Oh, hello," he breathed. The room filled with silence. _I can't take it anymore! He thought grabbing Hermione, kissing her. "I love you," he whispered in her ear. _

            Hermione looked up, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Ron. I'm sorry."

Authors Note: Yay! My first Harry Potter fic. Um… I know it might not be the best material, but hey I tried, and that's what matters in life! ^_^  I'm contemplating on doing a sequel, but I'm not so sure… Well, anyways, tell me what you think!  


End file.
